2009 Spaceport News Summary
The 2009 Spaceport News used the above banner for the year. The “Spaceport News” portion picked up a bolder look, starting with the July 24, 2009, issue.
Introduction
The first issue of the Spaceport News was December 13, 1962. The 1963, 1964 and 1965 Spaceport News were issued weekly. The Spaceport News was issued every two weeks, starting July 7, 1966, until the last issue on February 24, 2014. Spaceport Magazine, a monthly issue, superseded the Spaceport News in April 2014, until the final issue, Jan./Feb. 2020. The two 1962 Spaceport News issues and the issues from 1996 until the final Spaceport Magazine issue, are available for viewing at this website. The Spaceport News issues from 1963 through 1995 are currently not available online.
In this Summary, black font is original Spaceport News text, blue font is something I added or someone else/some other source provided, and purple font is a hot link.
All links were working at the time I completed this Spaceport News Summary. The Spaceport News writer is acknowledged, if noted in the Spaceport News article.
Page 1
From The January 9, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“Space shuttle Endeavour is being lifted away from the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility on Dec. 13. The SCA gave the shuttle a piggyback ride from California, where Endeavour landed Nov. 30, ending the STS-126 mission.”
On page 7, “747 took on jumbo task 35 years ago”, by Kay Grinter, Reference Librarian. Part of the feature states “NASA envisioned securing the shuttle to another aircraft for transport between ground locations. Modification of an existing jumbo jet into a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, was the most practical approach…
Consideration was given to adapting the Lockheed C-5A Galaxy carrier and the Boeing 747 passenger aircraft. The availability of low-cost, used 747s swayed NASA’s decision, and Boeing was awarded the contract to make the modifications. NASA purchased a Boeing 747-123 from American Airlines for $15 million in July 1974… It was redesignated NASA 905… . About 7,000 pounds of pea rock were placed in the forward cargo bay for ballast. Approximately 1,400 pounds of pig iron were added to the main forward section for weight and balance…
“The NASA logo on a hangar at Dryden Flight Research Center is framed by NASA’s two modified 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. The one on the left is the 747-100 model, designated 911, and the other is the 747-100SR (short range), designated 905. The two aircraft are identical in appearance and performance as shuttle ferrys.”
Page 2
In the ferry configuration, the SCA cruises low and slow -- typically 288 mph between 13,000 and 15,000 feet -- providing sky watchers with a good view as it flies by… Japan Airlines sold a second 747 to NASA in 1989. NASA took delivery of NASA 911 at the Boeing facilities in Wichita, Kan., in November 1990…”.
Wikpidedia has a good read on the SCA. This is a video about the SCA. The following photos are from Wikipedia.
From The January 23, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 2, “STS-119 crew arrives for TCDT”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the feature says “A clear blue sky served as the backdrop as Discovery’s STS-119 crew members touched down at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility aboard T-38 aircraft Jan. 19, for the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT…
“STS-119 mission crew members head across the tarmac to greet the media after arriving at the Shuttle Landing Facility. From left, is Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, John Phillips and Koichi Wakata. The crew flew to Kennedy Space Center to take part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities, which include equipment familiarization, emergency exit training, and a simulated launch countdown.”
Page 3
They were greeted by Launch Director Mike Leinbach and NASA Test Director Pete Nickolenko, and then fielded questions from members of the news media during a brief Q-and-A… Just as they will on launch day, the crew suited up in the Operations and Checkout Building, boarded the Astrovan and traveled to Launch Pad 39A to participate in a simulated launch countdown Wednesday morning. In the afternoon they boarded the T-38 jets and returned to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.”
The following STS-119 mission patch and description are from Wikipedia.
“The shape of the STS-119/15A patch comes from the shape of a solar array viewed at an angle. The International Space Station (ISS), which is the destination of the mission, is placed accordingly in the center of the patch just below the gold astronaut symbol. The gold solar array of the ISS highlights the main cargo and task of STS-119/15A -- the installation of the S6 truss segment and deployment of S6's solar arrays, the last to be delivered to the ISS. The surnames of the crew members are denoted on the outer band of the patch. The 17 white stars on the patch represent, in the crew's words, "the enormous sacrifice the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia have given to our space program." The U.S. flag flowing into the space shuttle signifies the support the people of the United States have given our space program over the years, along with pride the U.S. astronauts have in representing the United States on this mission.”
On page 2, “Upcoming challenges bring in the new year”.
“A new year is upon us and the challenges abound! The future holds great things for the Kennedy Space Center… This is a truly exciting time for human spaceflight. As we look around Kennedy we see the signs of change and new beginnings…
Page 4
In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the upper stage for the Ares I-X test flight is being stacked… The Operations and Checkout Building’s high bay has been totally redone and is being dedicated this month to support the assembly and processing of the new Orion spacecraft… In addition to the new challenges presented by the Constellation Program, we have five shuttle missions scheduled this year… Now, add to this an expendable launch program that’s one of the most aggressive in recent years…
Change isn’t always easy to deal with. Often times it brings with it uncertainty about the future, which can cause concern. Administrations, programs and management personnel may come and go, but the one thing that remains constant is Kennedy Space Center is the premier launch facility for America’s space program… Change also brings with it the opportunity to do our jobs even better…
The future is here; it’s at Kennedy now, and we have to deliver… This is going to be a great year and it’s a privilege to be a part of this outstanding Kennedy team.”
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“STS-126 crew members chatted with Kennedy workers after the astronauts’ presentation Jan. 14 of their experiences during the mission. Pilot Eric Boe signs a picture during the crew return.”
From The February 6, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 2, “O&C high bay ready for Orion processing”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the feature says “NASA’s Constellation Program took another giant step forward as representatives from NASA, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Space Florida and the state of Florida helped mark the completion of renovations to the historic Operations and Checkout Building, or O&C, high bay at Kennedy Space Center on Jan. 26. Kennedy Director Bob Cabana welcomed participants to the event and thanked the state of Florida for their $35 million commitment toward the high bay renovations. “This is a real program and we have real hardware here,” Cabana said. “We’re ready for Orion; we’re ready to go back to the moon.” Cabana said the new
Page 5 facility will create about 400 jobs, which is important at this time… “We need to focus on our future,” Cabana said. “With change comes opportunity.”…
Workers replaced everything in the 70,000-square-foot high bay and the 20,000-square- foot basement, except the basic structure. A tour of the facility revealed new walls, ceilings, paint, air conditioning, wiring, a new state-of-the art heavy lift crane and specially designed epoxy flooring. Participants also were able to view mock-ups of the Orion capsule and a heat shield. Total renovation costs were about $55 million…”.
“Representatives from NASA, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Space Florida and the state of Florida participated in a ceremony Jan. 26 to mark the completion of renovations on the historic Operations and Checkout Building high bay for the Constellation Program. Orion, America’s future human spaceflight vehicle, will be capable of transporting four crew members to the moon and later will support crew transfers to Mars….”.
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, left, takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony paying tribute to the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other NASA colleagues who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, during NASA’s Day of Remembrance observance at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. At right, is Mark Nappi, United Space Alliance vice president of Launch and Recovery Systems and Florida Site Executive.”
Page 6
On page 7, “First KSC shuttle landing 25 years ago”, by Kay Grinter, Reference Librarian. A portion of the feature says “A major milestone in the Space Shuttle Program was met Feb. 11, 1984, as Challenger smoothly set down on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, becoming the first spacecraft in NASA history to land at the same site from which it launched. Touchdown came early that Saturday morning at 7:15 a.m. EST…
The first official landing at the SLF was not of a shuttle at all, but of NASA-6 on May 21, 1976, with then-Kennedy Director Lee Scherer at the controls. At that time, the landing facility was called the Orbiter Landing Facility, or OLF. “The name was changed to ‘Shuttle Landing Facility’ after shuttle launches began,” Ron Feile, lead air traffic controller for the SLF, said. “Some of the signs on the gates on the west side of the runway, out of sight of most employees and spectators, are still marked with the old name to this day.”… Since 1984, there have been 67 end-of-mission shuttle landings at Kennedy…”.
“Space shuttle Challenger makes the first landing on Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility on Feb. 11, 1984. All previous shuttle missions ended at Edwards Air Force Base in California or Northrup Strip at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.”
The following is a neat graphic, showing Shuttle Program landing history.
Page 7
From The February 20, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
On the left, “Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger announces the winners of the “Your NASA Dream Experience” contest Feb. 2 in Lakeland, Fla. The teacher and two students from Lakeland High School won a three-day job-shadow experience at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.” On the right, “Gunter Wendt stops by Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 10 for a tour of Launch Pad 39A. Wendt was in charge of the Kennedy launch tower pad operations during the Mercury and Apollo Programs.” Closeout Crew Lead Travis Thompson is on Guenter’s immediate right.
On page 6, “Launching Leaders soak up fun, experience”, by Layla Higgins, for Spaceport News. In part, the feature states “A packed house at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex shows the future of America’s Spaceport is in good hands. More than 170 people attended the kick-off event for the newly formed Kennedy Space Center Launching Leaders organization Jan. 28… The event’s keynote speaker was Space Shuttle Program Manager John Shannon… Launching Leaders was created to provide social and professional networking opportunities and training for early career professionals at Kennedy…”.
“More than 170 people mingled at the first Kennedy Space Center Launching Leaders event Jan. 28 at the center’s visitor complex.”
Page 8
From The March 6, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 2, “Acaba has close ties to Space Coast”, Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the article states “group of local teachers will be cheering from a viewing area at Kennedy Space Center as science teacher turned NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba boards space shuttle Discovery for launch on the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station… Though Acaba was born in Inglewood, Calif., and raised in Anaheim, Calif., he has ties to central Florida. From 1999 to 2000, the bilingual teacher taught integrated science at Melbourne High School. He also taught math and science at Dunnellon Middle School in Marion County for four years…
Acaba earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of California-Santa Barbara in 1990, and a Master of Science in geology from the University of Arizona in 1992... The 41-year-old father of three is the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to become a NASA astronaut. In February 2006, Acaba completed astronaut candidate training…
As of press time, the STS-119 launch is tentatively targeted for March 12 at 8:54 p.m.”
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“Astronaut Joseph Acaba taught integrated science at Melbourne High School. He also taught math and science at Dunnellon Middle School in Marion County for four years.”
Joe is currently the Chief of the Vehicle Integration Test Office, in the Flight Operations Directorate, at JSC. The following is Joe’s Wikipedia read. This is a short video with Joe.
On pages 4 and 5, “SCENES AROUND KENNEDY SPACE CENTER”.
“External fuel tank ET-131, which will be used on space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-127 mission, moves from the turn basin to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 21. The tank was transported to a high bay for checkout. The tank will help launch the Japanese Experiment Module’s Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section, or ELM-ES.”
Page 9
From The March 20, 2009 Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 2, “STS-119 takes final US arrays to orbiting lab”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the article states “Lili Villarreal, a NASA mission operations engineer in the International Space Station and Spacecraft Processing Directorate, watched with co-workers as space shuttle Discovery lofted into orbit atop a billowy plume of smoke just as dusk set in along the Space Coast at 7:43 p.m. EDT March 15. The Kennedy Space Center Space Station Processing Facility payload processing team watched its hard work pay off when Discovery lifted off Launch Pad 39A carrying the S6 truss to the International Space Station…
“We are all excited to see that picture of the station when the shuttle departs the ISS,” Villarreal said. “To see the truss components together and to see all of the beautiful solar arrays deployed is something we have all worked so hard to achieve.”…
After 13 days of hard work, Discovery and crew are to return home March 28, at 1:43 p.m. EDT…”.
“Space shuttle Discovery takes off March 15, at 7:43 p.m. EDT from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.”
On page 2, “Obstacles no match for management lead”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the story says “Michael Moses’ first time as Mission Management Team lead came with a few challenges. The launch integration manager for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program was in his office at Kennedy Space Center when Discovery’s launch was scrubbed due to a hydrogen leak during tanking on March 11, at 2:36 p.m. EDT…
On March 13, crews replaced the seven-inch quick disconnect and two seals, one on the external tank side and one on the ground equipment side. Then on launch day, a crew was sent to Launch Pad 39A to fix a helium pressure issue giving way to a flawless issue giving way to a flawless liftoff. As Moses sat at the ops position in the
Page 10
LCC during Discovery’s launch March 15, at 7:43 p.m. EDT, he said, “It’s a whole lot sweeter being here tonight.”…
Moses began his career at Johnson Space Center as a flight controller in the Mission Operations Directorate in August 1995… From there, he became a NASA employee, continuing to work in the propulsion systems group and supporting 29 shuttle missions… He was selected to be a flight director in February 2005, and participated in five shuttle missions as a shuttle orbit flight director. He was the shuttle lead flight director for the STS-123 mission in February 2008, prior to appointment to his current position.
“Launch Integration Manager Mike Moses is all smiles after the successful launch of Discovery, beginning the STS-119 mission. In Firing Room 4 at the Launch Control Center, Moses undergoes the traditional tie-cutting ceremony.”
Mike is currently the President of Virgin Galactic.
On pages 4 and 5, “2009 ALL-AMERICAN PICNIC”.
“NASA Astronaut Ken Ham signed autographs and posed for photographs at the picnic.” “Face painting was a favorite of the kids attending the picnic. The facial art themes included tigers, butterflies, fairies and clowns…”.
Page 11
On page 6, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“An overhead crane lowers NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, at Astrotech in Titusville, Fla. The orbiter will be rotated on the table to provide proper access for processing. Launch of LRO is targeted for May 20.”
On page 7.
“Chosen few Apollo trailblazers wore high heels”, by Kay Grinter, Reference Librarian. Part of the feature states “To land a man on the moon before 1970 was not NASA’s only mission in the Apollo heyday. Affirmative action was in its infancy, and NASA scoured the country for women with the “right stuff” to succeed in technical careers…
Mathematics major JoAnn Morgan worked for NASA four summers during her college studies and her potential was apparent to NASA before the employee search began. She was offered a position as an instrumentation controller in 1963 before she finished her degree… By the time Apollo 11 launched in 1969, Morgan had five years of experience. “I worked in the firing room during the countdown of several missions, but Apollo 11 was the first time I was in the room at liftoff,” Morgan said. The following is a 2019 interview with JoAnn.
Judy Sullivan, formerly Judy Shanaberger, was a math and science teacher who joined NASA in 1966 as the first woman engineer in Spacecraft Operations, working closely with the astronauts. She was lead engineer for the biomedical system for the Apollo 11 mission… Shortly after the launch of Apollo 11, Sullivan represented NASA on the television game show, “To Tell the Truth.” A panel of celebrities tried to chose the “real” biomedical space engineer by asking job-related questions of a group of three women, all claiming to work for NASA… They were totally fooled,” Sullivan recalled. “I won $500 and had a great time seeing New York City.” Today, she has a successful acting and modeling career… The following is a 2019 interview with Judy.
Page 12
Ann Montgomery, a math major, joined the Apollo team in 1968 as a crew systems engineer… Testing and fit checks were performed on everything making the trip into orbit or to the moon, whether it was lunar tools, books, clothing or Kleenex. Women engineers were rare. “I had to fight to get out on the launch pad. The guard had been reprimanded for letting a secretary through, so he wouldn’t let me in. I spent 45 minutes trying to convince him when he finally realized I had the right access number on my badge,” Montgomery said. “At that time, there was no ladies’ room on Pad 39B.” The following is a recent interview with Ann and JoAnn Morgan.
Ruth Ann Strunk, a math major, also was hired in 1968, but as an acceptance checkout equipment, or ACE, software engineer. She monitored the work of contractors in the MSOB who wrote the computer programs designed to check out the command module, lunar module and the Apollo J mission experiments… Strunk left NASA’s employ in 1973 but returned to Kennedy in 1998 after working 25 years in the private and government contracting sectors. In the intervening years, she earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Stetson University and currently works in EG&G’s energy and water management office…”.
On the left, “Judy Sullivan, a math and science teacher, joined NASA in 1966 as the first woman engineer in Spacecraft Operations, working closely with the astronauts. She was lead engineer for the biomedical system for the Apollo 11 mission. Today, Sullivan is a successful model and actress.” On the right, “Ruth Ann Strunk was one of a small group of women engineers hired by NASA during the Apollo Program. She was an aerospace technologist working with computers in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building in 1972. She returned to Kennedy Space Center in 1998 and is employed in the energy and water management office by EG&G Technical Services today.”
Page 13
On page 8.
From the April 3, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 1, “Bird team clears path for Discovery”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. In part, the story reads “Birds fly where they will and there’s no way to predict when one or more might strike the space shuttle during launch or landing. To reduce the chances, Kennedy Space Center makes use of several bird-deterrent methods.
“Space shuttle Discovery touches down on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center, completing the 13-day, 5.3-million mile journey of the STS-119 mission to the International Space Station. Main gear touchdown was at 3:13:17 p.m. EDT. Nose gear touchdown was at 3:13:40 p.m. and wheelstop was at 3:14:45 p.m.” “EG&G’s Bob Smith fires a shotgun loaded with blanks in an attempt to scare large flocks of birds away from the runway at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility.”
Page 14
As Discovery touched down at 3:13 p.m. EDT on March 28, and glided to a stop at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility, or SLF, the EG&G team felt a sense of accomplishment in creating the safest environment possible for its return. According to Ron Feile, EG&G air traffic controller, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program mandates that NASA has a hazard management plan. The SLF plan includes the use of pyrotechnics, propane cannons and bird-watch activities…
EG&G air traffic controller Donny Linton monitored the runway for birds and kept in touch with bird-watcher Bob Smith, who was stationed in a specially-equipped truck on the ground. Smith fired shotguns and pistols loaded with blanks to scare large flocks of birds away from the runway. From time to time, he would sound a special siren from his truck or use a remote control to set off cannons. A series of 25 liquid propane cannons, placed in strategic locations along the east and west sides of the SLF runway, are controlled by air traffic controllers in the tower and remotely by bird-watchers in the field. These cannons, installed in September 2007, are fired randomly by zone, individually or all at once. Each rotates in a 360-degree pattern for the greatest effect…”.
On page 3, “Constellation Program gets hands on MLP-1”. Part of the article reads “The handover of Mobile Launcher Platform-1 from NASA’s Space Shuttle Program to the Constellation Program at a Kennedy Space Center ceremony on March 25 is the next step in returning people to the moon and exploring beyond… The 4,625-ton, two- story steel structure will be modified for the first test flight of NASA’s next-generation spacecraft and launch vehicle system. The Ares I-X flight test, which is targeted for launch this summer, will provide important data for developing Ares I…
“It truly is a historic day to be turning over a major piece of hardware from one manned spaceflight program to another,” Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach said. “It really doesn’t happen very often.”… The launch platform had just been used on March 15 to launch space shuttle Discovery on its STS-119 mission to the International Space Station…
“Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach speaks to the employees and media during the handover ceremony for Mobile Launcher Platform-1 near Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39B. Also participating in the ceremony are, left, Rita Willcoxon, director of Launch Vehicle Processing at Kennedy, right, Pepper Phillips, director of the Constellation Project Office, and (not visible) Brett Raulerson, manager of MLP operations with United Space Alliance.”
Page 15
Constructed in the mid-’60s, Mobile Launcher-3, or ML-3, originally was used for transporting and launching the Saturn V rocket for Apollo lunar landing missions. ML-3 was modified from 1975-79 for use in shuttle operations and was renamed Mobile Launcher Platform-1, or MLP-1… During the handover ceremony, Brett Raulerson, United Space Alliance manager for MLP operations, received a commemorative plaque that will be hung in the MLP shop. An identical plaque also will hang in Kennedy’s Launch Control Center…”.
“Mobile Launcher Platform-1, or MLP-1, on its way to Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center atop a crawler-transporter. The Space Shuttle Program gave the launcher to the Constellation Program for its Ares I-X flight test, targeted for the summer of 2009. The launcher moved to the launch pad for ground control hardware testing with equipment in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1. Following testing, MLP-1 will move to the Vehicle Assembly Building’s High Bay 3 to begin stacking with Ares I-X.”
MLP-1 is currently being used for crawlerway conditioning for Artemis.
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes around Kennedy Space Center”.
“Craig Schulz, son of the late Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip, and his family dedicated the statue of Snoopy in his spacesuit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to commemorate NASA’s 50th Anniversary. The ceremony included remarks by Schulz, Chief of Kennedy’s Public Services Division Pam Steel and astronaut Jon McBride.”
Page 16
The following is a screen grab from a 2020 KSC Visitor Complex facebook video, showing Snoopy, on display in the Apollo/Saturn V Center.
From The April 17, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes around Kennedy Space Center”.
“STS-125 crew members review procedures for entry into space shuttle Atlantis with a trainer inside the White Room on Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. From left are, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson, Mission Specialist Megan McArthur, Commander Scott Altman, and Mission Specialists Andrew Feustel and Mike Massimino. Not seen clearly are, Mission Specialists Michael Good, left, and John Grunsfeld, right. Atlantis’ 11-day flight is targeted for launch May 12, and will include five spacewalks to refurbish and upgrade NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope with state-of-the-art science instruments.”
Page 17
The following STS-125 mission patch is from Wikipedia and the patch desciption is from collectSPACE.
“This STS-125 crew patch shows HST along with a representation of its many scientific discoveries. The overall structure and composition of the Universe is shown in blue and filled with planets, stars, and galaxies. The black background is indicative of the mysteries of dark-energy and dark-matter. The new instruments to be installed on HST during this mission, Wide Field Camera-3 and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, will make observations to help understand these unseen components which seem to dominate the structure of the Universe. The red border of the patch represents the red-shifted glow of the early Universe, and the limit of the Hubble's view into the cosmos.”
On page 6, “Endeavour rolls over April 10, rolls out April 17”.
“3, Endeavour, on its way to the Vehicle Assembly Building, will roll out to Launch Pad 39B on April 17. “ “5, In the Vehicle Assembly Building, workers mate Endeavour to its external tank and solid rocket boosters April 10. Endeavour will be prepared on Launch Pad 39B for liftoff in the unlikely event that a rescue mission is necessary during space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. After Atlantis is cleared to land, Endeavour will move to Launch Pad 39A for its upcoming STS-127 mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch June 13.”
Page 18
On page 7.
“Apollo-era secretaries pushed boundaries of change”, by Kay Grinter, Reference Librarian. A portion of the article states “Today, NASA’s Sue Gross supports Kennedy Space Center’s associate director for Business Operations in her capacity as an executive information specialist. However, she served as a secretary from 1962 until after the Apollo 11 mission… She returned to Kennedy’s work force nearly 20 years later. “The culture was considerably more formal then, especially in Headquarters Building,” Gross said. “The way a secretary dressed was extremely important. I wore flats into the office one day, and my supervisor sent me home on my own time to get my high heels.”…
Pat Lowry, now retired from NASA, began as a secretary in 1966. “Women weren’t allowed to wear pants, but I was a bit of a rebel,” Lowry As America salutes its administrative professionals on April 22, Spaceport News pays tribute to the secretaries of the Apollo Program said. “One day I wore a pantsuit to work. They didn’t send me home, but I got a few looks.”…
Apollo-era secretaries were required to type fast and to take shorthand… “We had telephones with dials,” Gross said. “We learned to dial the numbers using some sort of implement, like a pencil or dowel, to protect our nails. There were also no answering machines, and most offices had a requirement that all calls must be answered…. “During Apollo, everything had to be done manually,” Gross said. “Now, we have the immediacy of online communications. It’s funny to think that, somehow, we got to the moon without all that.”
“Sue Gross earns a Special Achievement Award in August 1969. Today, Gross (inset) works in Kennedy Space Center’s Business Operations.”
Page 19
From The May 1, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 6, “Shuttles together at pads one last time”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the article says “The massive rotating service structure, or RSS, surrounding space shuttle Atlantis at Launch Pad 39A began to retract, revealing the glistening white orbiter, solid rocket boosters and orange external tank in the early afternoon sunlight April 17. Space shuttle Endeavour, framed by the three new 600-foot-tall lightning towers, sat majestically on Pad B after arriving there earlier the same day…
NASA Launch Director Mike Leinbach said it’s great to have Atlantis on Pad A with Endeavour on Pad B… Since 1985, shuttles have been at both launch pads 19 times -- a rare sight, considering Kennedy’s launched 125 shuttle missions to date… Previously, two shuttles were on launch pads at the same time in September 2008. Atlantis was on Pad A for the STS-125 mission, and Endeavour arrived at Pad B for the Launch on Need mission, or LON. When Atlantis rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building because of a delay in the Hubble Servicing Mission, Endeavour rolled around to Pad A for the STS-126 mission…
With the shuttle fleet retiring in 2010, this is expected to be the final time two shuttles will be on launch pads at the same time… STS-125 is the 126th space shuttle mission, the 30th flight for Atlantis and the fifth and final shuttle Hubble servicing mission.”
“With the space shuttle fleet set for retirement in 2010, this is expected to be the final time two shuttles will be on launch pads at the same time. Atlantis, left, sits on Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A. Endeavour stands by at Pad B in the unlikely event that a rescue mission is necessary during Atlantis’ upcoming mission to upgrade NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.”
On page 3, “STS-119 crew shares mission insights, laurels”. In part, the article states “…On April 24, the STS-119 crew returned to Kennedy Space Center’s Training Auditorium to share their perspective of the mission… Commander Lee Archambault shared the stage with Pilot Tony Antonelli and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Swanson, Richard Arnold and John Phillips… After being introduced by Kennedy Deputy Director Janet Petro, the crew presented a 15-minute video of the mission. A question and answer session followed…
Page 20
When asked what to do when a fellow astronaut is snoring up on the International Space Station, STS-119 Mission Specialist Steve Swanson said, “You stop him.”… “Installing the S6 truss was our biggest challenge and greatest accomplishment,” Swanson said. “It took everyone to do that and we’re very proud of that.”…
“The STS-119 crew, from left, Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, Richard Arnold, Steve Swanson and John Phillips, Commander Lee Archambault, and Pilot Tony Antonelli. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, not pictured, remains aboard the International Space Station.”
From The May 15, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 2, “Atlantis heads for Hubble on final upgrade mission”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the story reads “Space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-125 mission thundered off Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A, at 2:01 p.m. EDT May 11, on the fifth and final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission… Scott Altman leads the STS-125 mission as commander, with Gregory C. Johnson as pilot. Mission specialists are Michael Good, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Andrew Feustel. It is the first spaceflight for Good, McArthur and Feustel…
During the 11-day mission, Grunsfeld, Feustel, Massimino and Good will perform five spacewalks to install new instruments and make repairs or upgrades to other instruments on Hubble. They also will install new gyroscopes, battery modules and thermal blankets…
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was deployed on April 25, 1990, during Discovery’s STS-31 mission. Previous servicing missions are Endeavour’s STS-61 mission in December 1993; Discovery’s STS-82 mission in February 1997; Discovery’s STS-103 mission in December 1999; and Columbia’s STS-109 mission in March 2002. Atlantis is scheduled to land at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 11:41 a.m. EDT May 22…
Space shuttle Endeavour is on Launch Pad 39B during Atlantis’ Hubble mission and is designated STS-400 in the unlikely event it is needed for a
Page 21 rescue flight. After Atlantis lands, Endeavour will roll around to Launch Pad 39A on May 30, for its next flight, STS-127 to the International Space Station.
On page 3, “Trio of shuttle astronauts join hall of fame”. In part, the article states “Commanding five of six space shuttle missions and guiding Discovery to within 30 feet of space station Mir might inflate anyone’s ego. But not astronaut Jim Wetherbee. His wife, Robin, manages to keep the space explorer grounded. After coming home from a mission, Wetherbee said his wife told him: “Great flight, big boy. Now take out the garbage.” Humility was one of the many things Wetherbee gave thanks for as he joined George “Pinky” Nelson and William Shepherd for induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on May 2. About 600 people honored the trio as they increased the number of space explorers enshrined in the hall of fame to 73…
Nelson was a member of the first spacewalking team to repair a satellite in Earth’s orbit. He flew three space shuttle missions during the 11 years he was in the Astronaut Corps, from 1978 to 1989. Nelson claims the distinction of being the only American to test-fly the Russian Manned Maneuveing Unit, which he did in 1989 in Moscow. He now serves as director of the Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Program at Western Washington University…
Shepherd, a four-time space shuttle astronaut and recipient of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor, was assigned to NASA from the U.S. Navy SEALs community… He commanded the first mission to the space station and lived and worked there for 141 days, from October 2000 to March 2001. Shepherd is now the science advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command, where he manages to develop new technologies and capabilities for the nation’s special operations forces…”.
“The three newest inductees into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame proudly join current members during an induction ceremony May 2, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. In front, from left, are George “Pinky” Nelson, one of only six space shuttle astronauts to fly untethered in space using NASA’s Manned Maneuvering Unit; William Shepherd, commander of the first crew to live aboard the International Space Station; and James Wetherbee, commander of the longest-docked shuttle mission with space station Mir. More than 20 hall of fame astronauts attended, including Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Scott Carpenter, James “Jim” Lovell and Bob Crippen.”
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From The May 29, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 1, “Atlantis returns with sensitive payload”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the article says “An intense mission to service NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope for the fifth and final time came to an end when space shuttle Atlantis glided to a stop at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 11:39 a.m. EDT May 24….
As Atlantis is prepared for its ferry ride back to Kennedy, more than 30 NASA, United Space Alliance, Orbital Sciences, Lockheed Martin, Analex and Goddard Space Flight Center workers are busy preparing to preserve the returning Hubble instruments inside the orbiter’s payload bay… The four payload carriers that will be removed, the Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier, the On-orbit Replacement Unit Carrier, the Flight Support System and Multi-Use Lightweight Equipment Carrier, contain old Hubble instruments, and the equipment and tools used during the STS-125 mission…
Steve Hoyle is Goddard’s launch site operations manager for Hubble. He is anxious to get the telescope’s old parts back to Goddard so they can be investigated and studied for thermal property degradation and micro meteor damage…”.
“Space shuttle Atlantis on the STS-125 mission lands at 11:39 a.m. EDT May 23, at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The crew upgraded NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and spent nearly 13 days in space.”
On pages 2 and 3, “Artists paint adventurous works of NASA”, by Steven Siceloff Spaceport News. A portion of the article says “James Webb garnered tremendous praise for his management acumen as NASA’s administrator during the race to space and the moon. But along with setting a course for a clearly left-brained organization… Webb also gave NASA room for the right-brain to breathe a bit. In 1962, Webb sent a two-paragraph memo that suggested involving artists to help tell the agency’s story of adventure….
The first team of artists set off in time to see the last launch of the Mercury Program – Gordon Cooper’s Faith 7 flight May 15, 1963. Most of the group stayed on land and watched from Cape Canaveral while another artist went out on the Navy ship that would
Page 23 recover Cooper and his spacecraft. After the launch, the artists were free to create whatever work inspired them. Their pieces formed the core of NASA’s first exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. For their efforts, each artist received an $800 honorarium. Travel costs had to come out of that total, as well. The artists soon traveled to all of NASA’s facilities, recording events far from the launch site in mediums ranging from pencils and pens to watercolors and ink…
Norman Rockwell, Robert T. McCall, Andy Warhol and Annie Leibovitz are some of the well-known names to take part in the program… About 2,100 pieces from the art program now belong to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, where some are on display. NASA’s collection numbers about 800, and many of those go on public viewing, while others can be seen at NASA field centers…”.
On the left, “This Norman Rockwell painting is on display in the Debus Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It shows astronauts John Young and Gus Grissom suiting up for the first flight of the Gemini Program in March 1965. Rockwell visited Kennedy to meet the astronauts, but when he returned home, he found his photographs of the visit inadequate to complete the painting. NASA allowed Rockwell to borrow a Gemini spacesuit for a week.” On the right, “This Norman Rockwell painting “Man’s First Step on the Moon” is on display in the Debus Center at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Rockwell, who visited the Manned Spacecraft Center (now Johnson Space Center) in Houston, in 1966, predicted with amazing foresight the historic event that would take place several years later.”
On page 6, “Engineer models hobby after NASA’s space program”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the feature reads “Louis Achee has a passion for space shuttles – those that sit on Kennedy Space Center’s launch pads and a much smaller version displayed in a special glass case in his Titusville, Fla., home. Fulfilling a lifelong hobby, the United Space Alliance, or USA, systems engineer began to build a scale model of NASA’s space shuttle Columbia back in the late 1970s. Achee used Balsa wood to create the 1:42 scale model, which comes very close to the real thing, complete with main engines, solid rocket boosters and an external tank. “It’s a passion
Page 24 of mine,” Achee said. “Some people climb Mount Everest, I like to build scale models.” Using only a Dremel rotary tool for some of the intricate cut work, Achee hand cut and sanded every component. He put the final touches, including paint, on the model just in time for Columbia’s liftoff on the STS-1 mission, April 12, 1981…
Achee relied on 2-D drawings provided by NASA in 1976 and 1978 to create the model… Achee’s shuttle model was featured in the September 1997 issue of the FineScale Modeler magazine. It also has appeared in Brevard publications throughout the years, and was an attention-getter at Space Congress events…
Originally from White Castle, La., Achee came to Kennedy in 1972 to work as a technician for Honeywell Information Systems. He worked on technical ground data systems in the Central Instrumentation Facility for the Apollo 16 and 17 missions… He left Honeywell in 1997 to work for USA’s Integrated Data Systems Directorate in the Process Control Center…”.
“United Space Alliance systems engineer Louis Achee built this 1:42 scale model of space shuttle Columbia with Balsa wood just in time for the launch of STS-1 in 1981. Achee has built small scale models of the Apollo/Saturn V launch vehicle, the Vehicle Assembly Building and Launch Complex 39. His next project will be an 8-foot-tall model of the Ares I-X flight test vehicle made of maple wood.”
From The June 12, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 1, “STS-127 crew to put up porch”. In part, the story reads “Although they will be installing a one-of-a-kind porch on the International Space Station, the astronauts of space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-127 mission won’t have time to sit back and relax. The week leading up to Endeavour’s launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A at 7:17 a.m. EDT June 13 has been a busy one. First, the STS-127 crew arrived at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility from Houston in a Shuttle Training Aircraft
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Gulfstream II jet at 11:53 p.m. June 8… Then there were four days of final preparations that included studying for the mission, medical exams, spacesuit fit checks, landing practices and adjusting their body clocks…
Four spacewalks and a great deal of the robotics work will devote some time to installing and outfitting the final pieces of JAXA’s Kibo laboratory – its external facility, which will provide the Japanese a way to expose science experiments to the extreme environment of space…”.
“The STS-127 crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center late Monday night. From left are Mission Specialists Tim Kopra, Tom Marshburn, Christopher Cassidy, and Julie Payette of the Canadian Space Agency; Commander Mark Polansky; Pilot Doug Hurley; and Mission Specialist Dave Wolf.”
The following STS-127 mission patch and description are from Wikipedia.
“A crew spokesperson had the following words for the patch. "Bathed in sunlight, the blue Earth is represented without boundaries to remind us that we all share this world. In the center, the golden flight path of the space shuttle turns into the three distinctive rays of the astronaut symbol culminating in the star-like emblem characteristic of the Japanese Space Agency, yet soaring further into space as it paves the way for future voyages and discoveries for all humankind."
On page 2, “Leaders share bright outlook over breakfast”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the article states “We have a very bright future,” and “Kennedy Space Center will always be NASA’s launch center,” were Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana’s uplifting messages during the annual Community Leaders Breakfast at Kennedy’s Visitor Complex on May 28. Local, state and U.S. government representatives, as well as business, industry and community leaders received an
Page 26 update on the center’s achievements, and current and future activities…Cabana began the presentation by showing a special Apollo 40th Anniversary video and then gave a brief overview of Kennedy’s accomplishments, and support of the space shuttle, International Space Station, Constellation and Launch Services Programs…
Cabana commended the center’s dedicated and talented work force, but said there will be a loss of 3,500 to 4,000 jobs at the end of the shuttle program... “It’s hard to see this now, but we’re going to have a heavy-lift vehicle that will take us back to the moon,” Cabana said… He said the center’s focus now will be to build on its heritage as it moves into the future… “We are a leader in space exploration,” Cabana concluded. “We want to maintain our leadership in the world.”
“Hundreds of community leaders, business executives, educators, community organizers, and state and local government officials attended the annual Kennedy Space Center Community Leaders Breakfast in the Debus Conference Facility at Kennedy’s Visitor Complex on May 28.”
From The June 26, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 3, “Confident crews work to repair GUCP hydrogen leak”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the feature says “For the second time in less than a week, launch teams scrubbed space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-127 mission because of a hydrogen gas leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, during tanking at Kennedy Space Center… Fueling of Endeavour’s external fuel tank with more than 500,000 gallons of super cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen stopped at 1:02 a.m. June 17, while the launch team evaluated the situation…
A vent valve was opened and closed several times and a fast flow of liquid hydrogen was restarted… Vent valve troubleshooting took place for about an hour before it became clear the problem could not be solved. Endeavour’s launch was officially scrubbed at 1:55 a.m. by STS-127 Shuttle Launch Director Pete Nickolenko… The leak
Page 27 was is in a location where similar leaks resulted in a scrub on June 13 and another during Discovery’s STS-119 tanking in May. The leaks will be evaluated in order to determine the cause… “Once we get it fixed and we’re confident we have a solution that’s going to work and allow us to go fly safely, then we’ll proceed forward,” LeRoy Cain said… Endeavour’s next launch attempt is targeted for July 11 at 7:39 p.m.”
“Workers check out and remove the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP on Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center…”.
Marc Jaime is on the left in the photo.
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center
“From left, Rep. Steve Crisafulli, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana and Sen. Mike Haridopolos share a conversation at the National Space Club’s June luncheon on June 9 in Cocoa Beach, Fla. The topic of the luncheon was “Space in the 2010 Legislative Session.”
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From the July 10, 2009, Spaceport News
This issue of the Spaceport News is dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. Some of the articles include “Director’s Update”, “Orion encapsulates some aspects of lunar module”, “Pads evolve as launching points to space”, “VAB always ready to stack, roll big rockets”, “Community feeds off Kennedy’s endeavors” and “Kennedy work force evolves with each program”. A couple of articles will be highlighted in this Summary.
On page 2, “Remember triumphs, keep looking ahead”.
A portion of the feature states “Forty years ago, humans set foot on the moon for the first time, a journey of some 230,000 miles that took four days to complete and began right here on Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center… Change is all around us at Kennedy as we prepare for the Constellation Program. In the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Ares I-X vehicle is being stacked and checked out for a flight test later this year… Construction continues on the new mobile launcher for Ares I… At the beginning of this year, we held a ceremony to commemorate the activation of the Operations and Checkout Facility high bay, which will serve as the final assembly facility for the Orion crew exploration vehicle…
We have an amazing team here at Kennedy, and in spite of all the challenges in front of us, this is a great time to be part of space exploration. The shuttle is unequalled in what it can do, the station is nearing completion and will reach its full potential in the years ahead. The Launch Services Program leads the way in the delivery of scientific and robotic missions that pave the way for human exploration… So as we take time this month to remember our triumphs of 40 years ago, let’s also take time to celebrate the accomplishments of today as a new generation of Kennedy workers prepare to take us back to the moon and beyond. This is a great time to be part of the Kennedy team.”
Keep charging! Bob
On page 11, “Community feeds off Kennedy’s endeavors”, by Rebecca Sprague, Spaceport News. Part of the story reads “…At the height of NASA’s Apollo Program, Kennedy Space Center employed about 26,000 people, including tenants and supporting contractors... “Titusville was called the miracle city because it was growing so fast,” said Don Phillips, chief test supervisor on Launch Complex 39 during the
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Apollo era… “That’s why we’ve got Miracle City Mall…” Business on the Space Coast was booming back in the Apollo glory days. So much so, that the original Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller, opened up a theme park called Tropical Wonderland in Titusville. But as the Apollo Program wound down in the 1970s, so did the local economy…
Most business owners packed up, called it a day and tried to make a profit elsewhere. But there’s at least one restaurant that has survived all these years: Moonlight Drive-in on U.S. 1 in Titusville. “We started off as Francine’s in about 1963 and changed the name during the moon missions,” said Susan Hamed, owner of the retro restaurant. “My husband and I bought the place from his parents, and now three of our four children work here. The third generation will be here when NASA goes back to the moon.”
Most everyone agrees that the success of Kennedy directly affects the success of the Space Coast. And there is one thing most Apollo alumni can agree on too, and that’s that 40 years ago they worked hard and played hard…”.
“Francine’s restaurant in Titusville, Fla., changed its name to Moonlight Drive-in during the Apollo Program…”.
The following is a photo of the Moonlight Drive-in, from Google Maps Street View.
This is the website for the Moonlight Drive-in, including a retro menu.
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From The July 24, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 2, “Bolden, Garver begin next mission”. Part of the feature reads “…The U.S. Senate confirmed Bolden as administrator and Lori Garver as deputy administrator July 15. They officially were sworn in at NASA Headquarters in Washington, on July 17. During the confirmation hearing July 8, Bolden and Garver addressed the four main challenges facing the agency, saying they hope to turn those challenges into opportunities.
First, they want to build upon America’s investment in the International Space Station, as well as safely and efficiently fly out the remaining space shuttle missions. Second, they want to accelerate the development of NASA’s next-generation spacecraft. Third, Bolden and Garver want NASA to study Earth’s environment from space. And fourth, they want NASA to inspire children to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math…
“Charles Bolden Jr. is sworn in as 12th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at NASA Headquarters in Washington on July 17.” “Lori Garver, NASA’s new deputy administrator, testifies July 8 at a confirmation hearing in Washington.”
On page 3, “Processing ‘firsts’ set stage for STS-127 launch”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. In part, the article states “Space shuttle Endeavour and its seven- member crew launched on the STS-127 mission on its sixth attempt, July 15, at 6:03 p.m., after five launch attempts were unsuccessful because of tanking leaks or weather issues. The long-awaited launch was preceded by a host of “firsts” by Kennedy Space Center’s launch processing team…
Dana Hutcherson, Endeavour Flow Director, said the OPF flow also was challenging, with a few “firsts” accomplished to get the midbody configured and ready for the payload… The space shuttle’s external tank was filled six times, tied with STS-1 in April 1981, and STS-35 in December 1990… Endeavour was ready to launch as scheduled on June 13, when the external tank’s Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, developed a leak during tanking…
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The team went into high gear and studied the problem carefully, eventually detecting a misalignment in the GUCP that prevented the parts from fitting together correctly. After nearly two weeks of hard work, the alignment problem was resolved… A tanking test on July 1 verified that the repair had been successful and the team was once again ready to proceed with launch…
Endeavour was ready to launch on July 11, when severe thunderstorms rolled over Kennedy and Launch Pad 39A was struck by lightning. Launch was delayed before tanking while the team verified there had been no damage to the vehicle’s systems. A second attempt was made July 12, but it was scrubbed due to thunderstorms in the area. A third attempt was made on July 13, with a second scrub for weather.
After a 48-hour delay, the team tried once again on July 15, and was rewarded with a spectacular launch… After a 16-day mission that includes five spacewalks, Endeavour is scheduled to land at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility on July 31 at 10:52 a.m.”
“Propelled by columns of fire, space shuttle Endeavour hurtles into the cloud-washed sky July 15 at 6:03 p.m. from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A on the STS-127 mission. This was the mission’s sixth launch attempt. Endeavour will deliver the Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section in the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo laboratory complex on the International Space Station.” “In Firing Room 4 at Kennedy Space Center, Endeavour Flow Director Dana Hutcherson and STS-127 Shuttle Launch Director Pete Nickolenko take part in the tie-cutting ceremony for their inaugural launch as Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach looks on.”
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On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center - VIPs, workers gather for Apollo 40th Anniversary”. The article reads “Apollo astronauts Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Walt Cunningham, Edgar Mitchell, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Jerry Carr, Vance Brand and Bruce McCandless celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Apollo Program on July 16 at the Apollo Saturn V Center. Personal stories, at times comical, were shared by the astronauts as they recalled their flight and training experiences and took questions from moderator John Zarrella, a CNN anchor. The ceremony concluded with the opening of the Apollo Treasures Gallery, a new exhibit at the Visitor Complex that houses rare Apollo artifacts. Guests at the event included Apollo veterans, current KSC employees, VIP guests and the general public.”
From left to right in the photo; Al Worden, Ed Mitchell, Walt Cunningham, Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke, Jerry Carr, Vance Brand, and Bruce McCandless.
From The August 7, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 2, “Medical team welcomes STS-127 crew”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. In part, the article reads “As Endeavour glided down the runway to a stop, a large caravan of vehicles, along with Johnson Space Center Flight Crew Surgeon Dr. Cedrick Senter and other medical personnel, headed to the waiting space shuttle. Endeavour touched down at Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility
Page 33 at 10:48 a.m. July 31, bringing to a close the 16-day STS-127 mission to the International Space Station…
After Endeavour was cleared of toxic fumes and chemicals, the Crew Transport Vehicle, or CTV, was raised up to the level of the shuttle hatch. It was then attached to the shuttle’s side for workers to open the hatch. Dr. Senter entered the shuttle through the CTV and did an assessment of the STS-127 crew members to make sure they were well… Then, he and others helped them out of their seats and down the ladder if they were up on the flight deck, or to crawl out of the middeck hatch…
The flight surgeon’s primary responsibility is to assess and manage heat stress, dehydration and motion sickness. They help the crew change into more comfortable flight suits, give them something cool to drink and let them rest briefly in the air- conditioned CTV. When the STS-127 crew members felt well enough, they did a post- landing walk around to inspect the shuttle… The crew members boarded the Astrovan and were transported to the… Operations and Checkout Building. There, they received their post-flight physical examination…
According to Senter, crew members typically spend two to four hours undergoing post- flight evaluation and testing... Each mission’s crew is assigned a flight crew surgeon who follows them from the time they are assigned to a mission through landing… It takes astronauts some time to readjust to gravity, especially after a long-duration mission… Koichi Wakata, who lived aboard the International Space Station for 138 days, adjusted quite fast to Earth’s gravity, and even made it to the post-landing crew news conference about four hours after landing…”.
“Space shuttle Endeavour kicks up dust as it touches down at 10:48:08 a.m. on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center on July 31. The STS-127 mission completed a 16-day, 6.5-million mile journey to the International Space Station. Nose gear touchdown was at 10:48:21 a.m. and wheelstop was at 10:49:13 a.m. Endeavour delivered the Japanese Experiment Module’s Exposed Facility and the Experiment Logistics Module-Exposed Section to the space station.”
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On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“In Kennedy Space Center’s Space Station Processing Facility, a crane lowers the Multi- Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo toward its payload canister July 22. The payload was transferred to Launch Pad 39A on July 30 for installation in space shuttle Discovery. The module will carry science and storage racks to the International Space Station on the STS-128 mission...” “In High Bay 1 of Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building, space shuttle Discovery is lowered onto the mobile launcher platform… Launch of Discovery’s STS-128 mission is targeted for Aug. 25.”
On page 6, “Engineer receives ‘Take Pride in America’ award”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the article says “Just like the astronauts, Erik Denson has explored where few dare to go. The chief of the Electrical Design Branch in Kennedy Space Center’s Engineering Directorate is a certified Professional Association of Dive Instructors, or PADI, divemaster. Denson and other “Diving With a Purpose,” or DWP, participants recently received a 2009 National “Take Pride in America” award in the Outstanding Public Private Partnership category from the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C…
“Erik Denson, chief of the Electrical Design Branch in Kennedy Space Center’s Engineering Directorate, was honored July 17 at the “Take Pride in America” national award ceremony in Washington, D.C., for his contribution to “Diving with a Purpose.” The program is a volunteer underwater archeology endeavor that runs in cooperation with the National Park Service…”.
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Denson is one of the original four participants and lead instructor of DWP, a volunteer underwater archaeology program… Formed in 2004, the program began as a partnership between the National Park Service and National Association of Black Scuba Divers, or NABS, Southern region to document shipwrecks in Biscayne National Park off the coast of Homestead, Fla…
Denson has been diving for 17 years… and has trained more than 20 scuba divers to document underwater archaeological sites for historical preservation… “During the course, a diver can spend up to one-and-a-half hours surveying a 6-by-6 foot section of a site, not moving from that area.” Denson said. “This type of diving is not for everyone. It takes diligence and concentration.”…
Denson has logged more than 500 dives, including the Red Sea, Grand Cayman, Curacao in the Bahamas, and Cozumel and Cenotes, an underground spring, in Mexico. His deepest dive was 135 feet in Pensacola, Fla., where an aircraft carrier, called the USS Oriskany, sunk intentionally as part of the artificial reef program…”.
The following is a 2017 NASA press release about Erik.
From The August 21, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 3, “STS-125 crew returns with final memories of Hubble”. Part of the article says “The crew of the STS-125 mission forever will be remembered as the group that gave NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope its final tune-up. It’s been three months since the crew left Kennedy Space Center in a billow of smoke and clouds. On Aug. 7, they returned to where the mission began to talk about their accomplishments, share personal stories and thank the team that made it all possible. “We’ve been traveling around the country saying thank you to everyone involved,” Commander Scott Altman said… Altman, Pilot Gregory C. Johnson, and Mission Specialists Mike Massimino and Megan McArthur attended the crew return in the Operations and Support Building II…”.
“STS-125 mission Commander Scott Altman signs items for Kennedy Space Center workers at the crew return ceremony Aug. 7 in Operations and Support Building II.”
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Also on page 3, “Space club honors trio with Lifetime Achievement awards”. In part, the feature states “Dr. James “Jim” Johnson, Gerald Oppliger and Guenter Wendt were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at a luncheon Aug. 11, at the Oceanfront DoubleTree Hotel in Cocoa Beach, Fla. “Jim, Gerald and Guenter each have made significant contributions to the space community through their impressive careers,” said Roy Tharpe, committee chair of the National Space Club…
Johnson has served the space program since 1955… Following his retirement from NASA in 1995 as deputy manager of the Russian Integration Office, Johnson remained active in the space community. He served in key leadership positions with the Canaveral Council of Technical Societies, Space Congress, NASA Alumni League and Brevard Space Week…
Oppliger served the space program for 50 years, beginning with Sperry Utah Co. as a project engineer in 1959 and ending with his long service as president of Lockheed Martin Space Operations Co. in 1997… In the 1960s, he helped design the solid propellant motors for the Titan missile system, as well as the solid propellant rocket motors for the Apollo launch escape system… In the 1980s, Oppliger served as executive vice president and program manager for the construction and checkout of the Space Shuttle Launch Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Wendt, a space industry legend, served on every spacecraft closeout crew from the launch of the monkey “Ham” until his retirement in 1989… Born and educated in Germany, Wendt came to the U.S. in 1949 and became an American citizen in 1955… After the Apollo 1 accident in 1967, the astronauts rallied to transfer Wendt to North American Rockwell Corp., where he resumed his duties as self-proclaimed “Pad Fuhrer.” He was responsible for launch preparations for all crewed Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz test flights and was the last man seen by the flight crews prior to liftoff…”.
“Guenter Wendt, center, discusses how to get younger Americans interested in the space program with Gerald Oppliger, left, and Dr. James “Jim” Johnson at the National Space Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award luncheon Aug. 11 in Cocoa Beach, Fla.”
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On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“STS-128 crew members take a break from their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test in Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Changeout Room at Launch Pad 39A on Aug. 7. From left, Mission Specialist Patrick Forrester, Pilot Kevin Ford, and Mission Specialists Nicole Stott and Danny Olivas. The STS-128 mission is targeted to launch from Kennedy at 1:36 a.m. Aug. 25.”
The following STS-128 mission patch and description are from Wikipedia.
“The STS-128 patch symbolizes the 17A mission and represents the hardware, people and partner nations that contribute to the flight. The Space Shuttle Discovery is shown in the orbit configuration with the Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Leonardo in the payload bay. Earth and the International Space Station wrap around the Astronaut Office symbol reminding us of the continuous human presence in space. The names of the STS-128 crew members border the patch in an unfurled manner. Included in the names is the expedition crew member who will launch on STS-128 and remain on board ISS, replacing another Expedition crew member who will return home with STS-128. The banner also completes the Astronaut Office symbol and contains the U.S. and Swedish flags representing the countries of the STS-128 crew
From The September 4, 2009, Spaceport News On pages 1 and 2, “Discovery goes up, crew inspects pad”, by Steven Siceloff, Spaceport News. A portion of the article reads “If you’ve ever wondered what a launch pad looks like right after the space shuttle thunders off into space, there’s a team of engineers to ask. Called the postlaunch inspection team, they head out to the launch
Page 38 pad to instantly appraise damage at the pad and look for debris… “You see a lot of scorched metal, some bent,” said Jeff Painter, who has seen launch pads after liftoffs for more than 20 years…
Eight engineers, all volunteers, make the trip to the pad… Split into two teams, it takes two to three hours to complete the survey, which includes looking for signs of dented piping or loose bricks inside the flame trench… When it’s finished, they can offer a conclusive report of what items broke loose, what should be replaced or moved to a different part of the pad, and what damage parts of the pad incurred…”.
“The postlaunch inspection team, made up of engineers who specialize in certain areas of the launch pad, often find scorched metal and melted plastic after launch.”
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center.”
“Space shuttle Endeavour’s main engine No. 1 is moved out of Orbiter Processing Facility-2 on Aug. 18 after removal from the shuttle at Kennedy Space Center. Engine removal is part of the post-landing processing; engine No. 2 was removed Aug. 17. Endeavour’s next mission is STS-130, targeted for Feb. 4, 2010.”
“Technicians begin a functional test on the orbital docking system on space shuttle Atlantis in Kennedy Space Center’s Orbiter Processing Facility-1. The STS-129 mission bound for the International Space Station is targeted for Nov.12.”
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From The September 18, 2009, Spaceport News On pages 1 and 3, “Kennedy workers to process Discovery on both coasts”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the feature reads “As Discovery’s STS-128 mission to the International Space Station ended with a safe landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Sept. 11, at 8:53 p.m. EDT, a group of shuttle processing workers were there to prepare the orbiter for its ferry flight back to Kennedy Space Center.
About 50 workers stationed at Edwards assisted with landing. About 65 workers traveled from Kennedy to Edwards two days before the scheduled landing day to assist with landing operations… A full crew of orbiter operations technicians and engineers, tile technicians, safety and quality engineers, logistics employees and others with expertise in space shuttle main engines, power reactant storage distribution and other systems arrived the day after landing to help prepare the shuttle for its flight back to Kennedy.
During a 7- to 10-day period, they safed the vehicle by off-loading cryogenics and attached the tail cone to cover and protect the engines… “The beginning of the processing flow is one of the most critical aspects of the overall processing flow because it sets the pace for achieving our milestone so the vehicle is ready on time for its next mission,” said Stephanie Stilson, Discovery’s Flow Director… Once all ferry flight preparations are complete, workers attach the shuttle to the top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for its piggyback flight back to the Space Coast…”.
“Space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew landed at 8:53 p.m. EDT Friday at Edwards Air Force Base in California, capping off the 14-day STS-128 mission to deliver supplies and research facilities to the International Space Station and its six-person crew.”
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On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“Director of Launch Vehicle Processing Rita Willcoxon, left, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and Jody Singer, deputy manager of the Shuttle Propulsion Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., celebrate the successful launch of space shuttle Discovery’s STS-128 mission. Bolden participated in the traditional tie-cutting ceremony in Kennedy Space Center’s Firing Room 4, a ritual for first-timers in the firing room.” “A worker checks the alignment of the Cupola module, left, with the Tranquility module in the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. Cupola and Tranquility make up the payload for space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-130 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for early next year.”
From the October 2, 2009 Spaceport News On page 1, “Firing Room 1 ready for another ‘first’”, by Cheryl Mansfield, Spaceport News. In part, the article states “If rooms could boast about an illustrious past, then the Kennedy’s Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 would have ample reason. Soon another chapter of launch history will be written from there as the Ares I-X launch team assembles in the newly remodeled nerve center for the rocket’s flight test….”.
“NASA’s Constellation Program officialy took over the Launch Control Center’s Firing Room 1 during a ceremony at Kennedy Space Center on Sept. 25. From left, are Director of the Constellation Projects Office Pepper Phillips, Center Director Bob Cabana, former astronaut Bob Crippen, Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley and Center Operations Deputy Director Nancy Bray.”
Apollo 11, STS-1, and other historic missions were launched from Firing Room1. Artemis will be launched from Firing Room 1.
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On page 3, “STS-127 crew returns from ‘by the book’ mission”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. A portion of the story reads “Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana described the astronauts of the STS-127 mission as a crew who did an outstanding job delivering the remaining Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kibo elements to the International Space Station. He welcomed the astronauts to the center during a crew return event on Sept. 15. Commander Mark Polansky said the mission went by the book. He described the training required to complete five spacewalks and use three robotic arms to achieve the intricate mission objectives. “For me personally, Kennedy Space Center is a very special place,” Polansky said. “This is the place where real space vehicles and hardware are located.”…
Payette noted that when Endeavour docked with the station, the hatch was opened and shuttle crew members entered the station, it marked the first time that 13 people were all in one orbiting spacecraft… As the event came to an end, Cabana presented each astronaut with special commemorative coins from Kennedy. Polansky, in turn, presented a special photo of the space station with an American Flag to Cabana to honor the dedicated workers at the center.”
“Crew members of the STS-127 mission returned to Kennedy Space Center to share stories, photos and videos of their experiences during the mission. From left, are Mission Specialists Dave Wolf and Julie Payette, Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Christopher Cassidy and Tom Marshburn. The STS-127 mission was the final of three flights dedicated to the assembly of the Japanese Kibo laboratory complex on the International Space Station.”
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center
“The Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, or SCA, with space shuttle Discovery on top, is ready for towing from the Shuttle Landing Facility’s Runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center after touching down at 12:05 p.m. EDT on Sept. 21.”
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“Buzz Lightyear poses after returning to Earth aboard space shuttle Discovery on Sept. 11. The toy spent 15 months aboard the International Space Station supporting NASA’s education outreach program. Following his return, Disney is partnering with NASA to create a new online educational game and an online mission patch competition for school-aged kids across America. On Oct. 2, NASA will announce a new initiative where students can develop an experiment for the space station crew.”
The following is a 2012 Smithsonian Magazine article about the Buzz Lightyear model, and going to the Air and Space Museum for permanent display.
From the October 16, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 3, “Disney celebrates Buzz Lightyear’s return from ISS”, by Steven Siceloff, Spaceport News. Part of the feature states “…The icon of Disney’s “Toy Story” films spent 15 months on the International Space Station and got a ticker-tape parade alongside real-life moonwalker Buzz Aldrin and Expedition 18 Commander and NASA astronaut Mike Finke to welcome him home to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 2… The toy’s popularity gives NASA a head start in getting children’s attention in a world in which focus is short-lived, said Joyce Winterton, associate administrator for NASA Education. “It’s something that students and children can relate to,” Winterton said. “So when they see him going up in space on the shuttle or the station it becomes a touch point for them.”…
“Buzz is internationally known, and Buzz is a space ranger, so by sharing some of Buzz’s adventures with what we do at NASA, it really highlights a lot of good things for NASA and shows what we really do, what astronauts do,” Finke said… Finke and Buzz’s mission at Disney’s Magic Kingdom also included teaching school children about space travel, science and technology…”.
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“Buzz Lightyear received a space hero’s welcome during a ticker-tape parade through Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on Oct. 2. The 12-inch-tall action figure spent more than 15 months aboard the International Space Station and returned to Earth on Sept. 11.” “Buzz Lightyear and his former International Space Station crewmate, Mike Finke, share the limelight in a welcome home parade at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 2.”
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“Workers monitor the progress of space shuttle Atlantis as it backs out of Orbiter Processing Facility-1 for its move to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The rollover began at about 7 a.m. EDT and was completed at 8:25 a.m. Liftoff of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is targeted for Nov. 12.”
From The October 30, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 1, “Ares I-X soars!”. A portion of the article states “Six seconds after Ares I- X’s reusable solid rocket motors ignited at 11:30 a.m. EDT Oct. 28 and rumbled Florida’s East Coast, the 327-foot tall rocket cleared the launch tower and blasted through the crystal-clear blue sky over NASA’s Kennedy Space Center… Right on cue, the rocket’s first stage separated from the simulated upper stage, and then slowly splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean for recovery… This first flight of an Ares-I-modeled vehicle put facilities, procedures and Kennedy’s launch team to the test…”.
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The following photo of the Ares I-X launch is from Wikimedia.
On page 6, “Turbo team leader reaches new heights from hot seat”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. In part, the article states “Interest in high-performance engines is usually associated with men. But for Jessica Tandy, a turbo machinery engineer with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne since 2005, helping to process the space shuttle main engines occupies most of her workday at Kennedy Space Center. “It’s very exciting to work on space shuttle main engines,” Tandy said. “They are very complex and the learning opportunities are endless.”
“Jessica Tandy, a turbo machinery engineer with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, maneuvers a Hyster forklift into a main engine on space shuttle Endeavour.”
After Endeavour’s STS-127 mission ended in July, Tandy served as the move director- in-training during the main engine removal process in Orbiter Processing Facility-2. She sat in the hot seat on the Hyster forklift and focused on operating the rail table, which is used to install or remove engines, while communicating with technicians who were in the aft compartment of the orbiter… “Engine installation is one of my favorite things to do,” Tandy said. “Seeing the engines interface with the orbiter after weeks of preparation is very rewarding.”…
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From The November 13, 2009, Spaceport News On page 1, “Technical trainer marks 100th crew exercise”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News. Part of the story reads “Before space shuttle Atlantis launches the STS-129 crew and spare parts to the International Space Station next week, the history books can record an Earth-bound achievement for one Kennedy Space Center employee. Ed Ryan, who is a technical training manager with REDE-Critique on the Kennedy Institutional Support Services contract, helped train his 100th flight crew when the STS-129 astronauts were at the center for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test…
The first crew he trained was for the STS-26 Return to Flight mission in 1988… Ryan teaches the astronauts, closeout crew and fire and rescue team personnel how to use the air supply in the launch pad bunkers, as well as the use of the liquid air packs, in case of an emergency during a launch countdown…”.
“Ed Ryan, who is the technical training manager with REDE-Critique, helped train his 100th flight crew when the STS-129 astronauts were at the center for their Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT. Launch of Atlantis on its STS-129 mission to the International Space Station is set for Nov. 16 at 2:28 p.m. EST.”
The following STS-129 mission description and patch are from Wikipedia.
“For STS-129 the sun shines brightly on the International Space Station (ISS) above and the United States below representing the bright future of U.S. human spaceflight. The contiguous U.S., Rocky Mountains, and Great Desert Southwest are clearly visible on the earth below encompassing all the NASA centers and the homes of the many dedicated people that work to make our Space Program possible.
The integrated shapes of the patch signifying the two Express Logistics Carriers that will be delivered by STS-129 providing valuable equipment ensuring the longevity of the ISS. The Space Shuttle is vividly silhouetted by the sun highlighting how brightly the
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Orbiters have performed as a workhorse for the U.S. Space Program over the past 3 decades. The Space Shuttle ascends on the Astronaut symbol portrayed by the Red, White and Blue swoosh bounded by the gold halo. This symbol is worn with pride by this U.S. crew representing their country on STS-129.
The names of the crew members are denoted on the outer band of the patch. As STS-129 launches, the Space Shuttle is in its twilight years. This fact is juxtaposed by the 13 stars on the patch which are symbolic of our children who are the future. The Moon and Mars feature predominantly to represent just how close humankind is to reaching further exploration of those heavenly bodies and how the current Space Shuttle and ISS missions are laying the essential groundwork for those future endeavors
On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“The Kennedy Space Center Child Development Center hosted its annual Fall Festival on Oct. 30. Activities included a costume parade and pumpkin patch photographs. Parents and younger children, who dressed up as well, watched as preschoolers in costumes marched around the playground. Each class held a party afterward.”
From The November 27, 2009, Spaceport News
On pages 1 and 4, “Stott returns on final station, shuttle rotation”, by Cheryl Mansfield, Spaceport News Part of the article says “When the wheels of space shuttle Atlantis touch down to end the STS-129 mission, astronaut Nicole Stott will complete a first and a last. Kennedy Space Center will welcome her home as its first former employee to live and work aboard the International Space Station. Stott’s return also will mark another significant event -- the last time a station crew member will travel
Page 47 to or from the orbiting laboratory aboard a space shuttle. Upcoming crews will launch from and return to Earth aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Stott joined the space station’s six-person crew when she launched aboard shuttle Discovery in August during the STS-128 mission…”.
“Nicole Stott is the first former Kennedy employee to live aboard the International Space Station. She is the final station crew member to fly to or from the station aboard a space shuttle”
On pages 3 and 6, “Teamwork key to Tranquility transfer”, by Cheryl Mansfield, Spaceport News. Part of the article says “The last major component set to be added to the International Space Station, the Node 3 module known as Tranquility, was officially transferred from the European Space Agency to NASA during a ceremony Nov. 20… The pressurized node will provide additional room for crew members and many of the space station’s life support and environmental control systems already on board…
“Bernardo Patti, head of the European Space Agency’s space station program, left, and Michael Suffredini, NASA’s program manager for the International Space Station, shake hands after signing the Node 3 Transfer of Ownership on Nov. 20.”
Tranquility was built for NASA by Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, under contract to the European Space Agency… Spanning about 22 feet in length and 14 feet in diameter, the node arrived at Kennedy aboard an Airbus “Beluga” aircraft in May 2009, and has been undergoing processing at Kennedy ever since… Attached to Tranquility will be Cupola, a unique work module with six windows on the sides and one on top. Tranquility and Cupola are set for delivery to the station early next year during space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-130 mission.”
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“STS-130 Mission Specialist Kathryn “Kay” Hire, middle, and Pilot Terry Virts Jr., right, check out Cupola, which will be attached to Tranquility, during their Crew Equipment Interface Test on Nov. 5 in the Space Station Processing Facility.”
From The December 11, 2009, Spaceport News
On page 2, “Cabana reaches students through Digital Learning Network”, by Linda Herridge, Spaceport News In part, the article states “When students can’t participate in educational events in person at Kennedy, the center broadcasts to them live by way of the Digital Learning Network, or DLN. Dressed in his blue astronaut jacket, Center Director Bob Cabana, a first-time DLN guest, spoke to 200 students Dec. 8. “It was fun talking to the students,” Cabana said. “If we can’t do it in person, then the DLN is the next best way to reach them.”…
During the hour-long interaction, Cabana answered questions about his education and career, launching and flying a space shuttle, eating space food, wearing a spacesuit and adjusting to weightlessness in space. He spoke to students and their teachers from Conyers Middle School in Conyers, Ga.; Farnsworth Aerospace Magnet School in St. Paul, Minn.; Vintage Math Science Technology Magnet School in North Hills, Calif.; and students from the middle school he attended, Folwell Middle School, in Minneapolis, Minn… Cabana told the students it’s important to have goals and work hard in school. When asked about valuable lessons he’s learned during his career he said, “Always do your best, be kind and considerate of other people and have integrity.”…
“Center Director Bob Cabana addresses 200 students around the country during a Digital Learning Network event Dec. 8 at the Educator Resource Center.”
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On pages 4 and 5, “Scenes Around Kennedy Space Center”.
“Co-op Corrie Lamkin presents her semester project Dec. 3 in the Kennedy Learning Institute. Lamkin was among the students who explained processes, procedures and information they learned during the past couple of months while working at Kennedy.”
The following is a short video with Corrie, during signing at the VAB Space Shuttle tribute wall in the background, circa 2011.
“Civil service and contractor employees enjoy refreshments and other goodies at the 30th annual KSC Holiday Coffee on Dec. 2 and 3 in the Operations and Checkout Building’s Mission Briefing Room and in the Operations and Support Building II’s fifth floor conference room…”.
“Fifteen space shuttle work force employees and their loved ones take a photo from the Operations and Support Building II’s fifth floor after a Flow Director Award ceremony on Oct. 30. Each award recipient was given a certificate and a keepsake shuttle clock for their outstanding dedication and commitment to NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. The awards recognize shuttle employees who consistently go above and beyond their normal duties, often working extended hours, weekends and even holidays.”
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